Omega Preparation Plant has $6K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K outstanding across 1 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.
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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
18
Years on record
1989–2002
Latest incident
Jan 2002
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
75
citations
41
significant & substantial
$6,473
proposed penalties
$4,763
paid to date
74% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $1,710 gap.
citations per 100 inspection hours
ⓘThis rate is recorded citations divided by MSHA inspection hours, per 100 hours. It reflects inspection effort, not mine size or production.
Rate withheld: 556 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.
Omega Preparation Plant has $6K in proposed MSHA penalties and $2K outstanding across 1 contested dockets.
Penalty disposition
ⓘDifferences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.
$6K
proposed penalties
$6K
current assessed
$5K
paid to date
$2K
outstanding
71 assessments are final orders; 1 contested dockets.
Of $207 in penalties contested before the Commission, $40 was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2006-04-03.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.
Violation severity profile
ⓘShares are computed over citations that carry the MSHA gravity and negligence coding; a small share of records are uncoded.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
When citations were contested
ⓘContesting a citation before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission is a lawful right. These figures state the public outcomes of that process, from MSHA's Contested Violations file.
1citations taken to the federal commission · 1% of citations on record
Settled
1 · 100%
81%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$207 proposed, $40 after decisions · industry: 39%
Source: MSHA Contested Violations file (public record), updated weekly. A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record. Latest contest filed 2006-08-25.
Contested penalties
ⓘA reduction or dismissal at the Commission is a lawful outcome of contesting a proposed penalty. Figures are the proposed amount and the amount upheld in the docket's decision.
Largest penalties this mine contested before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, with the outcome on record.
MSHA sampling at Omega Preparation Plant shows 96% of 28 respirable coal dust samples met the 1.5 mg/m3 standard.
Health sampling
ⓘA sample is a point in time compliance measurement, not an individual exposure history. These figures describe MSHA sampling records and do not establish causation or personal dose.
Respirable coal dust
ⓘRespirable coal dust and silica figures cover coal facilities. Dust compliance is measured against the current 1.5 mg/m3 standard; samples predating the 2014 standard are included, so compliance rates are a coarse historical signal.
Last sampled: 2001-11-14, 24 years ago
96%
within 1.5 mg/m3
28
samples
1.77
dust max (mg/m3)
28 samples taken by MSHA inspectors, 0 by the operator.
Most-sampled occupations
UTILITY MAN7
HIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER5
CLEANING PLANT OPERATOR4
Noise
ⓘThe share counts noise samples whose measured dose exceeded the 90 dBA permissible exposure limit. It describes the sampled workplace, not what reached the miner's ear: hearing conservation programs and the hearing protection worn during the shift are recorded separately and are not reflected here.
Health sampling trend
ⓘA sample is a point in time compliance measurement, not an individual exposure history. These figures describe MSHA sampling records and do not establish causation or personal dose.
Respirable coal dust by year
ⓘRespirable coal dust and silica figures cover coal facilities. Dust compliance is measured against the current 1.5 mg/m3 standard; samples predating the 2014 standard are included, so compliance rates are a coarse historical signal.
Omega Preparation Plant recorded 11.93 reportable injury cases per 100 full-time workers in 2001.
Injury rate, 2001
ⓘThis rate is reportable injury cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers per year, computed as 200,000 times cases divided by MSHA operator-reported employee-hours. Cases are injuries MSHA graded degree 01 through 07; accident-only events that hurt no one are excluded, and so are contractor injuries, whose hours do not attach to a single mine. Rates begin in 2000, when quarterly employment reporting starts, and are withheld below 20,000 hours in a year.
11.93
total case rate
11.93
days-away rate
0.000
fatality rate
Above average. The US coal mining average was 6.94 and the all-US-mining average was 5.26 cases per 100 workers.
In West Virginia, coal mining averaged 8.13 cases per 100 workers that year.
Under 100,000 employee-hours were reported that year, so a single case moves the rate by two or more. Read the figure as approximate.
Year
total case rate
days-away
fatal
2001 *
11.93
11.93
0.000
2000 *
21.18
21.18
0.000
* Fewer than 100,000 employee-hours that year; the rate is less stable.
Source: injury cases from MSHA accident and injury records; employee-hours from MSHA quarterly employment reports. Rate is cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers, operator employees only.
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year
Employees
2004
0
2002
19
2001
19
2000
14
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.
Omega Preparation Plant sits in Nicholas County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 6.1% of county employment.
Local economic context
ⓘCounty figures come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 5-year pooled estimates, so the 2023 vintage covers 2019 through 2023. The Census category is 'mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction', which is broader than MSHA jurisdiction and includes oil and gas workers no mine employs. These figures describe the surrounding county, not this mine, and are not a factor in any specific incident.
Nicholas County, West Virginia · Population 24,446
6.1%
Mining share of county employment
$49,280
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
Quarterly safety rates
ⓘCitations per million reported employee-hours. Rates begin in 2000, when MSHA's quarterly employment data starts; earlier incidents are counted but cannot be rate-adjusted. Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.
Citations per million employee-hours, as reported to MSHA
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2004 Q2
0
0
0
2002 Q1
6,871
0
0
0.0
2001 Q4
12,169
16
10
1314.8
2001 Q3
3,705
0
0
0.0
2001 Q2
8,912
7
5
785.5
2001 Q1
8,754
11
7
1256.6
2000 Q4
7,549
0
0
0.0
2000 Q3
8,557
8
5
934.9
Show 2 earlier quartersHide earlier quarters
Quarter
Hours worked
Citations
S&S
Per 1M hrs
2000 Q2
4,861
0
0
0.0
2000 Q1
7,360
6
4
815.2
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
18 on file
2002 · 1 incident
January 28, 2002WV · Coalfront-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operatorHANDLING OF MATERIALS
INSTALLING FRONT DIFFERENTIAL IN A D400-D, INSTALLING J-JOINT IN FRONT DRIVE LINES. WHILE ON BACK REACHING THROUGH SMALL OPENING LINING UP JOINT, HAD PAIN IN LEFT SHOULDER AND NUMBNESS IN LEFT ARM AND THUMB.
June 26, 2000WV · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
CLIMB UP ON GREAS TRUCK TO START AIR COMPRESSOR. FOOT SLIPPED AND HE CAUGHT HIMSELF TO KEEP FROM FALLIN, TWISTING HIS BACK. NOTE: CO. WAS NOT TOLD OF INJURY TILL 6-9-00. EE FINISHED HIS SHIFT 6-8-00 AND WORKED 6-9-00. WENT TO DR. ON 6-12-00.
1999 · 3 incidents
July 28, 1999WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanSLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
EE WAS HELPING REMOVE ROCK OFF CONVEYOR BELT. FINISHED SHIFT. ON 4-20-94, EE CALLED IN AND INFORMED FOREARM THAT HIS BACK WAS HURTING AND WAS GOING TO THE DR.
1993 · 1 incident
September 8, 1993WV · Coalbulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineerHANDLING OF MATERIALS
WHILE CHECKING OUT D8 DOZER(CAT)(PROBLEM WITH STEERING CLUTCHES) DOOR ON CAB OF DOZER WAS OPEN BBUT NOT LATCHED IN THE PROCESS OF TESTING STEERING OF DOZER THE DOOR SLAMMED SHUT EMPLOYEES HAND WAS BEWEEN THE DOOR & FRAME CAUSING INJURY TO BACK OF LEFT HAND
1992 · 1 incident
February 28, 1992WV · Coallaborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitmanHANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
INJURED BENT OVER TO GO UNDER 4" PIPE BESIDE VERTICAL COLUMN AND WHEN RAISING UP HE HIT HIS RIGHT EYE ON X-BRACE PLATE (X-BRACING HAD BEEN RELOCATED EARLIER) WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO COLUMN. NO P ERMANENT DAMAGE TO VICTIM, SWELLED RIGHT SIDE OF FACE.
1989 · 3 incidents
September 21, 1989WV · Coalhaul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driverHANDLING OF MATERIALS
COAL TRK WAS BACKING UP.I.NAME PASSING BEHIND TRUCK WHICH APPEARED TO BE STOPPED.WHEN HE WAW THAT TRK WAS STILL BACKING,TRIED TO TURN,BUT MUD IN PIT AREA CAUSED HIM TO SLIDE STRIKING TRK.HEAD STRUCK STEERING WHEEL -TEMP.UNCONCIOUSNESS. M
February 10, 1989WV · Coalmaintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service techHANDLING OF MATERIALS
Bright Coal Corp · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)
WORKING ON CAOL TRUCK. TRUCK FELL OFF JACKS CATCHING RING FINGER AND LITTLE FINGER OF LEFT HAND BETWEEN SPRING HANGER AND TRUCK FRAME. BOTH FINGERS MASHED BROKEN AND BURSTED OPEN.